This invention relates generally to improvements in string instruments particularly such as a guitar. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved vibrato assembly for installation onto a guitar, wherein the vibrato assembly is adapted for use with improved tuning adjustment mechanisms for maintaining the guitar in tune and permitting rapid adjustment to alternative preset tuning configurations.
The guitar is a well known and popular musical instrument belonging to the so-called string instrument family. More specifically, the guitar commonly comprises a lightweight body joined to an elongated neck, with a plurality of guitar strings supported under tension between a bridge assembly on the guitar body and a tuning machine on a head at the distal end of the guitar neck. The tensioned strings are plucked or strummed to produce selected musical notes and/or chords. The effective lengths of the individual strings may be varied by manually pressing the strings against the guitar neck at selected positions longitudinally along the neck to alter the note or chord being played. The tuning machine includes means for adjusting the tension on the guitar strings to select the relative tuning configuration of the strings.
In the past, the tuning machine and bridge assembly of a guitar have traditionally supported the strings in a relatively balanced or equilibrium condition when the guitar is properly tuned. That is, the total tension force acting upon any one of the guitar strings is dependent at least in part upon the tension forces acting upon the remaining strings of the guitar. Accordingly, adjustment in tension of any single string results in at least some alteration in the tension acting upon the remaining strings whereby initial tuning of the several guitar strings can be a relatively tedious process requiring a significant degree of musical expertise. Moreover, in the event of breakage of a single guitar string, it becomes necessary to retune all of the strings relative to each other when a replacement string is installed.
When properly tuned, however, the guitar is a highly versatile and thus extremely popular musical instrument which can be used to play many different styles of music in different musical keys. Unfortunately, however, many guitar musicians lack sufficient training to utilize the full range of capabilities afforded by the guitar. Instead, many guitar musicians have the skill to play only a small number of basic chords in a single or limited number of musical keys. Such persons are unable to accommodate occasions requiring alternative keys or alternative tuning configurations of the guitar.
In addition, some guitar styles have been provided with vibrato apparatus to achieve a controlled tremolo effect with selected notes or chords. Such vibrato apparatus has been used, for example, with so-called electric guitars of the type having electromagnetic means for sensing and amplifying guitar string vibrations. Such vibrato devices are typically incorporated into the guitar bridge assembly and include a lever moved manually by the musician to stretch or shorten all of the strings by uniform displacements with a resultant increase or decrease in output pitch. However, this movement of the strings as a group results in a significantly nonuniform variation in string pitch due to the vastly different and nonlinear pitch variation characteristics for guitar strings of different gauge and/or subjected to different tension forces. Accordingly, use of the vibrato apparatus has inherently moved the strings to an out-of-tune configuration. Moreover, with traditional knife-edge type string support mechanisms, it is extremely difficult to insure accurate string return to the selected initial tuning configuration when the vibrato lever is released.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for improvements to the vibrato and tuning adjustment assemblies of a guitar. More specifically, there exists a need for tuning adjustment assemblies which will accommodate individual and independent string tension adjustment to a selected tuning configuration and which can be used with a vibrato assembly without tuning instabilities. Moreover, there exists a need for adjustable tuning mechanisms for rapidly adjusting the guitar between a plurality of different preset tuning configurations, thereby permitting a musician with limited ability to play the guitar in a variety of different musical keys. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.